First California Dinosaur Found a Surprise Thanks to 75-million-year Commute!

Aletopelta, “Wandering Shield,“ was named by Tracy Ford and Jim Kirkland from bones excavated during a sewer pipe installation in the late ’80s not too far from the future site of Legoland! Hear the tale of how it was discovered and its significance. Not only was it the first-named dinosaur from California, but it is also the first ankylosaurid to be discovered that lacked a tail club. This “bloat and float“ died on the seashore, was washed out during a storm, sank to the bottom, and was promptly buried. The land it died upon was on the San Andreas Fault plate and has been moving northwards. 75 million years ago or so when it died it was living around the tip of Baja, Mexico. By the 1980s it had made its way just north of San Diego. Amazing!